Monday, November 22, 2004

Boston.com / Business / Technology / Firefox helping to make Web better for all

Boston.com / Business / Technology / Firefox helping to make Web better for all: "
In the past two weeks, Internet users have downloaded over 4.5 million copies of Firefox, the excellent browser available for free from the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation. Yes, there are hundreds of millions of IE users, but Firefox is gaining fast, and IE is losing market share for the first time in years. The switch to Firefox will happen even faster as more people realize the full power of this browser, much of it provided by computer hobbyists who are scrambling to create a cornucopia of useful add-ons.
They're called extensions, handy programs that fit seamlessly inside Firefox and augment its original functions. There are dozens of them, ready to do for you just about anything IE will do and a bunch of stuff you never even thought about before.
What's the latest weather? There's WeatherFox, an extension that will pop up the most recent forecast in a corner of your browser. Do you enjoy music while you surf? Check out FoxyTunes, which adds a toolbar with controls for your favorite music player. How fast is your Internet connection? Bandwidth Tester will tell you at the touch of a button."